By Kim Yoo-chul
Staff Reporter
Korean-made technology ― chips, flat-screen TVs and cars ― is roaring on overseas markets amid the global economic crisis.
Samsung Electronics has recently become endeared to investors after it captured 37.2 percent of the global memory chip market in the second quarter ― an increase of 8.4 percentage points year-on-year.
The world's number two DRAM chip-maker, Hynix Semiconductor, captured 23.8 percent of the global market share in the April-June period, up 4.7 percentage points.
The combined presence of the two in the global DRAM market thus hit 61 percent, up from 48 percent a year ago.
Goldman Sachs has upped its target price on Samsung Electronics to 824,000 won from the previous 814,000 won.
The bank retained its "buy" rating on the world's biggest supplier of memory chips and LCD panels, and also raised its earnings per share forecast for 2010 by 6 percent.
The world's two biggest LCD makers, Samsung and LG Display, also captured 55.4 percent of the global flat-screen market in the second quarter, up from 44.5 percent a year ago.
On the back of brisk sales of high-end phones, the Korean phone makers also controlled 30.6 percent of the world market ― the first time domestic brands have accounted for more than 30 percent.
The increase is a 6 percentage point rise from 24.7 percent from a year ago, and came as Nokia, Sony-Ericsson and Motorola lost market share.
LG Electronics is the world's third-largest mobile phone maker. Samsung is pushing for high-end phones equipped with next-generation AM OLED panels, while LG is strengthening its content- and feature-rich phone portfolios with affordable prices for more of a global share.
Hyundai and Kia Motors accounted for 9.8 percent of the car market in China in the first half of the year. Hyundai raised its 2009 sales target in China for a second time.
Japanese makers are faring worse due to the strong yen, analysts say, while Korea's chaebol's brand images are improving.